Filing-case.



No. 831,024. PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

G. B. BURRAGE.'

-FILING CASE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 15, 1906,

ITFD STATES PALLE/NT FFIOF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1 l, 1906.

Application filed March l5, 1906. Serial No. 306.154.

To (LZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. BURRAGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at 156 Wabash avenue, Chicago, in the county of` Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Filing'- Cases, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to cases or drawers adapted to hold cards, slips, or files in position to permit ready access to and inspection of any part of the contents of the case.

My primary object is to provide improved adjusting means for the follower or movable backer of a filing-case or drawer of the nature indicated.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which` Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a filing case or drawer embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1 Fig. 3, a broken bottom plan view of the case; Fig. 4, a broken vertical section through the follower and its guide, taken as indicated at line 4 of Figs. 2 and 3,' Fig. 5, a broken central verticalisection taken as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 a broken end elevational view showing a detail of the connection between the follower-guide and the end of the drawer.

In the preferred construction, the device comprises a casing or drawer A, having a central longitudinal slot or channel (L in its bottom (L, a follmver-guide A, comprising a metallic strip located in said slot and having its ends joined by screws (L2 to the lower edges of the ends (L3 (L4 of the drawer, as shown in detail in Fig. 6, and a follower or backer A2, equipped with a metal guide member (L5, movable on the guide A.

The front end (L3 of the drawer is provided ith the usual inclined rest (L6 for the cards to bear against, and the follower A2 has an opposed inclined surface (L7. The follower may comprise a wooden block freely movable between the sides of the drawer. The guide member A has its metal struck downwardly at points (LS to afford a series of lockingshoulders LL, the metal being preferably severed at the sides and rear end of each struckdown portion, leaving a series of rearwardlydecliningl tongues (L10. The guide member (L5, with which the follower is equipped on the central portion of its lower surface, may be formed of sheet metal. It has at its front portion a pair of downwardly-projecting inturned lugs (L11, which embrace the guide member A@ it being observed that the spaces between the lateral edges of the member A and the adjacent lateral walls of the slot (Lf` are sufficient to permit passage of the lugs, and the member (L5 is further equipped near its rear end with downwardly-extending inturned lugs (L12, which embrace the memberA,

one ofthe lugs (L12 bearing a forwardly-eXtend.-

ing spring (L13, whose free end is slightly curved and bears on the under surface of the member A adjacent to the row of depressions therein. At the rear portion of the slide (15 is a rearwardly-(leclining lug or tooth (L14, adapted to engage the shoulders (L14 of the member A. The lugs (L11 of the slide (L5 have but little clearance beneath the member A/, and the lugs (L12 have considera-ble clearance, the slide being normally held in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 4 by the spring (L1i. It will now be understood that the follower' may be moved freely toward the front end of the drawer, the tooth (L1L riding freely over the rack of the member A and the spring (L1:i yielding to permit this action. Moreover, the follower will be automatically locked against retrograde movement at all times. l/Vhen desired, however, the follower may be tilted forcibly forward to keep the catch (L11 free from the rack, leaving thc follower free to be retracted, as desired.

The construction is rable and perfectly adapted to its purpose.

l/Vhat I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a case or drawer, of a guide member extending longitudinally at the bottom thereof and provided with series of locking-shoulders engageable from above, a follower equipped with a slide movable on said guide member, said slide being tiltable with relation to the guide member and having a tooth movable over the upper surface of the guide member, and a spring carried by said slide and bearing beneath the guide member, for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination with a drawer, of a longitudinally-extem'ling metallic strip at the bottom thereof formed with a series of locking-shoulders, a follower movable longitudinally in the drawer and equipped with a slide, said slide having depending inturned lugs embracing said strip, the rear lugs being spaced to permit forward tilting of the follower, a spring' connected with the slide and simple, cheap, and du- IOO bearing on the under surface of said strip and serving normally to maintain the slide in a horizontal position, and a locking-shoulder carried by the rear portion of the slide and adapted to move over the upper surface of said strip.

3. The combination of a `case or drawer having a longitudinal slot in its bottom, ay guide member located in said slot and equipped with a series of lockingeshoulders, spaces being allowed between the lateral edges of said guide member and adjacent latl eral walls of the slot, a follower equipped with a slide having a depending pair lofinturned lugs at its front portion embracing said guide member and a 'depending'npairf of lugs at its rear portion embraeing ys aidguide member loosely to perm'ittilting, a spring projecting forwardly from one of'said lugs and bearing upon the under surface of lsaid guide member, and a lug projecting from the rear portion of said slide and adapted toAengage the locking-shoulders of said guide member. l 4. The combination with a drawer having y a longitudinal slot in its bottom, of a metallic guide'member located in said slot and having a series vof struck-down portions affording rearwardly-declining tongues and lockingshoulders adjacent thereto, a follower, and a slide connected with the base of said follower comprising a sheet-'metal member-having a pair of front depending inturned lugs embracing said guide member somewhat closely and a pair of rear depending lugs embracing said guide member more loosely, a forwardlyextending spring carried by one ofthe rear lugs and having its free endbearingl on,the lower surface of said guide member,.fand a rearwardly-declining lug carried --by` the rear portion of the slide and moving ,over zthe/upper surface of said guide member and adapted to engage the locking-shoulders thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE B. BURRAGE. y 

